President unveils array of executive actions to increase minimum wage for federal contract workers, make it easier for low-income people to save for retirement

President Barack Obama gives a thumbs-up and Vice President Joe Biden applauds Army Ranger 1st Class Cory Remsburg during the president's State of the Union address Tuesday on Capitol Hill in Washington.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, before he delivers the State of Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, in Washington, as Vice President Joe Biden watches. (AP Photo/Larry Downing, Pool)

** ADDS NAME OF FATHER AT LEFT ** Craig Remsburg, father of Army Ranger Sgt.1st Class Cory Remsburg, center, watches as his son acknowledges applause from first lady Michelle Obama and others during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday Jan. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Barack Obama smiles as he arrives to deliver the State of Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, in Washington, as Vice President Joe Biden, and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, watch. (AP Photo/Larry Downing, Pool)

WASHINGTON — Seeking to energize his sluggish second term, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday night in his State of the Union address to sidestep Congress “whenever and wherever” necessary to narrow economic disparities between America’s rich and poor.

He unveiled an array of modest executive actions to increase the minimum wage for federal contract workers and make it easier for millions of low-income people to save for retirement.

“America does not stand still and neither do I,” Obama declared in his prime-time address before a joint session of Congress and millions of Americans watching on television.

Draped in presidential grandeur, Obama’s hourlong address served as the opening salvo in a midterm election fight for control of Congress that will quickly consume Washington’s attention. Democrats, seeking to cast Republicans as uncaring about the middle class, have urged Obama to focus on economic mobility and the gap between the wealthy and poor. His emphasis on executive actions was greeted with shouts of “Do it!” from many members of his party.

Declaring 2104 a “year of action,” Obama also sought to convince an increasingly skeptical public that he still wields power in Washington even if he can’t crack through the divisions in Congress. Burned by a series of legislative failures in 2013, White House aides say they’re now redefining success not by what Obama can jam through Congress but by what actions he can take on his own.

Indeed, Obama’s proposals for action by lawmakers were slim and largely focused on old ideas that have gained little traction over the past year. He pressed Congress to revive a stalled immigration overhaul, pass an across-the-board increase in the federal minimum wage and expand access to early childhood education — all ideas that gained little traction after he proposed them last year. The president’s one new legislation proposal calls for expanding an income tax credit for workers without children.

Republicans, who saw their own approval ratings fall further in 2013, have also picked up the refrain of income inequality in recent months, though they have cast the widening gap between rich and poor as a symptom of Obama’s economic policies.

“Republicans have plans to close the gap, plans that focus on jobs first without more spending, government bailouts and red tape,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., in the Republicans’ televised response to the president’s speech. “We hope the president will join us in a year of real action, by empowering people, not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes and fewer jobs.”

The economy and other domestic issues, including health care, dominated the president’s address. He touched only briefly on foreign policy, reiterating his threat to veto any new sanctions Congress might levy on Iran while nuclear negotiations with the Islamic republic are underway and touting the drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan this year.

In an emotional high point, Obama singled out Cory Remsburg, an Army Ranger who was a guest of first lady Michelle Obama. Remsburg, who was nearly killed in Afghanistan during one of his 10 deployments, rose slowly from his seat and was greeted by long and thunderous applause from the president and lawmakers.

Even as Washington increasingly focuses on income inequality, many parts of the economy are gaining strength, with corporate profits soaring and the financial markets hitting record highs. But with millions of Americans still out of work or struggling with stagnant wages, Obama has found himself in the sometimes awkward position of promoting a recovery that feels distant for many.

“The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead,” Obama said. “And too many still aren’t working at all.”

The president garnered some of his loudest applause — at least from Democrats — when he took on lawmakers who oppose his signature health care law, which floundered in its initial rollout last fall. Obama said that while he doesn’t expect to convince Republicans on the merits of the law, “I know that the American people aren’t interested in refighting old battles.”

The president’s speech drew an eclectic mix of visitors to the House chamber. Among those sitting with Mrs. Obama were two survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, as well as Jason Collins, an openly gay former NBA player. Republican House Speaker John Boehner brought business owners from his home state of Ohio who say Obama’s health care overhaul is hurting their companies. Willie Robertson, a star of the television show “Duck Dynasty,” also scored a seat in the House gallery, courtesy of the Republicans.

Though Obama sought to emphasize his presidential powers, there are stark limits to what he can do on his own. For example, he unilaterally can raise the minimum hourly wage for new federal contractors from $7.25 to $10.10, as he announced, but he’ll need Congress in order to extend that increase to all of America’s workers.

The executive order for contractors, which Obama will sign in the coming weeks, is limited in its scope. It will not affect existing federal contracts, only new ones, and then only if other terms of an agreement change.

Republicans quickly panned the executive initiative as ineffective. Said Boehner: “The question is how many people, Mr. President, will this executive action actually help? I suspect the answer is somewhere close to zero.”

White House officials countered by saying many more working people would benefit if Congress would go along with Obama’s plan to raise the minimum wage across the board.

“Give America a raise,” Obama declared.

Among the president’s other executive initiatives is a plan to help workers whose employers don’t offer retirement savings plans. The program would allow first-time savers to start building up savings in Treasury bonds that eventually could be converted into traditional IRAs. Obama is expected to promote the “starter” accounts during a trip to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

The president also announced new commitments from companies to consider hiring the long-term unemployed, the creation of four “manufacturing hubs” where universities and businesses would work together to develop and train workers, new incentives to encourage truckers to switch from dirtier fuels to natural gas or other alternatives and a proposed tax credit to promote the adoption of cars that can run on cleaner fuels, such as hydrogen, natural gas or biofuels.

The president’s go-it-alone strategy is in many ways an acknowledgment that he has failed to make good on two major promises to the American people: that he would change Washington’s hyper-partisanship and that his re-election would break the Republican “fever” and clear the way for congressional action on major initiatives.

Some Republicans have warned that the president’s focus on executive orders could backfire by angering GOP leaders who already don’t trust the White House.

“This isn’t the American way, courts have not supported his past attempts, and he only does damage to the American people’s confidence in government when he doesn’t work with Congress to pass real reforms,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Obama isn’t abandoning Congress completely. He made a renewed pitch for legislation to overhaul the nation’s fractured immigration laws, perhaps his best opportunity for signing significant legislation this year. But the odds remain long, with many Republicans staunchly opposed to Obama’s plan for creating a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million people already in the U.S. illegally.

Seeking to give the GOP some room to maneuver, Obama did not specifically call for a citizenship pathway Tuesday, saying only, “Let’s get it done. It’s time.”

Opening a new front with Congress, the president called for an extension of the earned-income tax credit, which helps boost the wages of low-income families through tax refunds. Obama wants it broadened so that it provides more help than it does now to workers without children, a view embraced by some Republicans and conservative economists.

Obama singled out Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has proposed replacing the tax credit with a federal wage supplement for workers in certain low-paying jobs. Unlike Obama, however, Republicans have suggested expanding the tax credit as an alternative to increasing the minimum wage.

Pivoting briefly to foreign policy, Obama reaffirmed that the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan will formally conclude at the end of this year. But he said a small contingent of American forces could be left behind if the Afghan government quickly signs a bilateral security agreement, a prospect that looks increasingly uncertain.

The president also warned lawmakers in both parties against passing new economic sanctions against Iran while the U.S. and international partners are holding nuclear negotiations with the Islamic republic. He renewed his commitment to veto sanctions legislation if it passes, arguing that a new round of penalties would upend the sensitive diplomacy.

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Why haven't we raised people out of poverty? It's the welfare state. Do you realize the welfare state, wherever it's been tried, in the history of the world, it's never worked. If your definition of working is removing people from poverty, making them self-sufficient, making them self-reliant, and getting them off of the dependency rolls and taking care of themselves, do you realize that using that as the definition of working, no welfare state ever has. What welfare states succeed in doing is keeping in power those who are in charge of them, those who run them.

The welfare state puts the brakes on human advancement, human ambition, human desire, human education, human self-reliance, human self-sufficiency, and human achievement. The welfare state prevents all of that from happening by becoming or making possible total dependence on the state, which requires no ambition, no education, no desire, no upward mobility, nothing. All you have to do is be a sponge. As such, the welfare state is one of the worst things that can happen to a country. It's one of the meanest things a country can do to its people.

However, in the current iteration the welfare state's cloaked in compassion. The welfare state exists because people are in poverty because of Republicans and conservatives. "It's because Republicans and conservatives are so mean and rich, and the Republicans and conservatives have taken all the money. They've taken the money from the poor, and they continue to exploit them. And if it weren't for welfare, the poor would have nothing, 'cause the rich would take it. The Republicans would take everything they've got and give it to their rich buddies." I mean, that's what passes for political explanation today to the low-information voter. When in fact the welfare state is destructive because it assumes that nobody receiving benefits is capable of doing anything.

Schieffer reminded us how other presidents bypassed congress at times last night. Obama won't be the first or the last. Now if I was a young person making minimum wage I would want it to go up. If I have to pay a little more for landscaping or fast food because of a minimum wage hike I am ok with that. If you aren't,
then don't do business with the folks. Once again, to the angry posters, "how does it hurt you?" Ignoring congress and ignoring the constitution are not the same animal. This congress deserves to be ignored, especially the house.

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." Jonathan Swift "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." Groucho Marx

Despite such bipartisan support, many GOP lawmakers at both state and federal levels remain opposed to lifting the minimum wage. Last year, House Republicans unanimously voted against a bill to raise the wage to $10.10 an hour. A similar bill was killed earlier this month in Wisconsin, where Republicans control both the legislature and the governor’s office. Bills to raise the minimum wage are now pending in 30 states."

So, we have 3/4 of US supporting the MWH, including most Indies, and 1/2 of the GOTP. I suppose the GOTP figure indicates the percentages of GOPs to TPs in the GOTP.

And, the GOTP leadership and Congress is backing the 24% of US over the 76% of US.

Keep it up GOTP. You're still looking like a possible winner in 2014, but you certainly seem intent on turning your victory into another defeat. Keep telling the rest of US, that the mess we're in has nothing to do with what you have done, and are doing, and everything to do with Obamacare.

I guess we'll find out in 2014. Can't wait for the GOTP primary season.

The liberals think that the number of executive orders and not what is in the executive orders is what is important. How quaint...

Liberals think that if you have a beard and/or live in the South you are a Hillbilly. How quaint...

Liberals think if the Republicans have a slight advantage in the House that all bad things are their fault. Apparently, everyone in Congress must be a lemming before this President can lead. How quaint...

Obama isn't a communist , although many of his beliefs are indeed straight out of the Communist Manifesto. This menace to society and mankind falls more into the "Crony Capitalist/ Fascist" model. Communists believe in total government ownership and control of all activities and resources. Fascists believe in tight government control, but allow some businesses (cronies)to remain in private hands. Dang, even Hitler actually built up Germany when he started his madness. Obama acts like he's hiding in the Berlin bunker.

If the congress refuses to do it's job, then the president has to do something else. He cannot go tripping on a sleeping dog forever.

If you people do not want to have more executive orders, elect a congress that nows how to legislate and is more interesting in doing what they were elected to do than sticking something up their nose or wearing women's underwear when they go whoreing.

That is all well and good but if they were asked if they support making that hike 30%, 40% or 80%. The numbers supporting those polls numbers would be a lot different. I support a hike just nothing too outrageous.

Personally, I am not a fan of Ted Cruz, but I am impressed that he alone can shutdown the government of the United States.

Do you have a link about your filibuster time under Obama? I bet it is a bunch of twisted numbers because of Cruz's filibuster. Did Wendy filibuster Perry more than any governor in the history of Texas?

Frankly, who cares... Harry Reid is probably the worst Senate majority leader ever, certainly one of the most partisan. When did that recession start, 2007? When did he and the Democrats take over Congress, 2007? Quaint indeed, that when Bush is President everything is his fault, but when Obama is President everything is the House's fault.

Yeah, I don't know why you want to accuse dems for the all of the deregulation and wasted spending on regulators, 90,000 according to you, that couldn't regulate. So Dems were supposed to clean up 6 years in two? That doesn't figure.

Even your dates of are off...... I don't mind doing this all over with you again.

So for years under total GOP control and deregulation of derivatives, junk bonds, over leveraging, and robo signed mortgages; you wanted dems to clean up in two years while the pieces were falling?

Kind of like how you blame Obama for not getting us out of the the Crisis you created, while you sit on your hands and obstruct. That is funny.

Blame the kid for drowning while you hold his head under water.

Yeah, BW, Congress is there to govern and Compromise, so don't start off with the Premise that Obama is supposed to lead people who won't compromise. That is baloney. Don't blame his policies when he can't implement his policies. Don't make absurd arguments.

I have read Norm Ornstein's new book with Mann and here is what a conservative from AEI has to say about Republicans.

"Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.

The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.

When one party moves this far from the mainstream, it makes it nearly impossible for the political system to deal constructively with the country’s challenges."

if Obama goes over the head of congress you are displeased. If Ted Cruz shuts down the government you impressed. Wow the crazed have spoken and given us a 360 degree view of what disjointed irrational thought looks like. Thank you. What a quaint view you have provided us.

Defunding Healthcare was not possible, nor repealing it. You need 2/3 and 3/4 to repeal.

Eve, do you understand the difference between the shutdown and the debt ceiling. Either way, The ACA is off the table.

I'm not sure that refusing to pay your own bills is the way to teach yourself to spend less. It is just an ignorant argument and it belies all logic. You will just end up with a lousy credit rating and higher interest rates.

Yes, I hope to see more tea party behavior in the future. It cost us over 25 billion and the GOP looked really lousy.

"The signing of the bill came just in time to prevent an imminent default as the US would have exhausted its borrowing power by the end of today. The shutdown sent Republican poll ratings plunging, cost the government billions of dollars and damaged the nation’s international credibility, reports The NY Times.

"...Days before his second term ended in 2009, Bush’s approval rating among all adults was 33 percent positive and 66 percent negative. The new poll found 47 percent saying they approve and 50 percent saying they disapprove. Among registered voters, his approval rating today is equal to President Obama’s, at 47 percent, according to the latest Post-ABC surveys.."

So George W. Bush was also a " blithering buffoon"? Well we knew that back then.

So what point are trying to make? Obama should resign because of poll numbers. Bush didn't........